Susan's Letter to Supporters

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for supporting my campaign for Congress. Your generous donations of time and money and your commitment to our cause mean so very much to me. While we did not win this election this time around -- we made an important difference -- and we should be proud of what we accomplished.

First, we garnered 25% of the total votes cast -- a greater percentage than any other candidate opposing Mr. Nadler in the 18 years he has held this seat. Many party leaders have termed our campaign "impressive" and even "amazing" given the late date at which we commenced our efforts; that I had never run for office before; our very limited resources; the other results here in the City; and the results in New York statewide races.

Second, we impacted, and hopefully will continue to impact, many issues of critical importance to our community and our nation. We will continue to work with business leaders to try to effect policy which will unleash the entrepreneurial spirit enable and our enterprises to grow and thrive. We will continue to accept resumes and try to find jobs for those in our district seeking employment. We will continue our work with community leaders to address the overcrowding of our schools and the closing of St. Vincent's Hospital.

One of our primary issues was our opposition to trying Khalid Sheik Mohammed - the confessed mastermind of September 11 and the murderer of Daniel Pearl -- in a civilian court in our district in Lower Manhattan. I believe that keeping this issue in the political limelight was helpful in preventing this travesty from occurring. Indeed, I do not believe President Obama or Attorney General Holder were blind to our oft-quoted observation that Mr. Nadler, who supported the trial, was “more concerned with terrorists’ rights than with terrorists’ wrongs.”

We also played a prominent role in defending the sensitivities and First Amendment rights of the families of the victims of September 11 and others who stood in opposition to the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero in our district and hope to continue to play a leadership role as this issue evolves. On the foreign policy front, it is our hope that our public criticism of our opponent and many of his cronies for their deafening silence on the Administration's insensitive mistreatment of Israel and our other democratic allies will encourage them to "stand up to what is wrong" rather than to "go along to get along" with a foreign policy which is too often devoid of strength and moral clarity. Finally, through our participation in rallies and video, we highlighted the oft-overlooked flagrant human rights abuses perpetrated by the Iranian regime -- and the grave threat to the free world that would be posed by its acquisition of nuclear weapons.

Third, we waged a unique grassroots campaign that gained national recognition. I received a kind note from one of our national party leaders in which our campaign was commended for "setting a new standard for campaigning in New York." Ours was a true grassroots campaign. We had no professional staff. We had no formal infrastructure and far fewer resources than most - - yet we managed to achieve meaningful results. Ours was a campaign of the heart -- not the purse We learned that when ordinary people are steadfast in their determination to “fight the good fight” important things can happen. We believed that our community deserved better -- that the symbolic nature of our district could not be ignored -- and the pressing national issues that surfaced right here demanded local leadership. We proved something that governments at all levels must learn -- it is not how much money you have -- but how effectively you use it.

I thank you for your concern, your involvement and your activism. It is my great hope that you will view this election not as an ending -- but as a beginning. Let us continue to work together to create a better New York and a better America for our children. In its essence, this is what my candidacy was all about and I know that is what attracted many of you to our campaign. While after a short period of contemplation I am still uncertain what my future holds, please keep in touch and let me know how I can best help. The fight to restore representative democracy, prosperity and security in this symbolic district cannot be over. We must continue to work together to ensure the well-being of our families, our community, our state and our nation.

Best wishes to each of you and your families for a wonderful Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season.

With warmest regards,

Susan L. Kone